Attention is directed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/004,636 entitled xe2x80x9cProcess and Apparatus for Producing an Endless Seamed Belt;xe2x80x9d abandoned U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,223, filed Jan. 28, 2000, entitled xe2x80x9cProcess and Apparatus for Producing an Endless Seamed Belt;xe2x80x9d U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/470,931, filed Dec. 22, 1999, entitled, xe2x80x9cContinuous Process for Manufacturing Imagable Seamed Belts for Printers;xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,070, filed May 28, 1998, entitled, xe2x80x9cUnsaturated Carbonate Adhesives for Component Seams.xe2x80x9d The disclosures of each of these references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention is directed to an endless flexible seamed belt wherein an image can be transferred at the seam of the belt with little or no print defects caused by the seam. In embodiments, the present invention relates to xerographic component imagable seamed belts comprising a seam formed between mutually mating elements, and having an overcoat on the seam. The overcoat comprises a fluoropolymer material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a fluoropolymer adhesive binds the seam. The present invention, in embodiments, provides a belt in which the seam has compatible electrical and release properties with the rest of the belt. The present invention further provides, in embodiments, a belt having a seam with increased strength. The present invention, in embodiments, also provides a belt having a seam in which the height differential between the seam and the rest of the belt is virtually nil. The belt, in embodiments, allows for image transfer at the seam, which cannot be accomplished with known seamed belts.
In a typical electrostatographic reproducing apparatus such as an electrophotographic imaging system using a photosensitive member, a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of a developer mixture. One type of developer used in such printing machines is a liquid developer comprising a liquid carrier having toner particles dispersed therein. Generally, the toner is made up of resin and a suitable colorant such as a dye or pigment. Conventional charge director compounds may also be present. The liquid developer material is brought into contact with the electrostatic latent image and the colored toner particles are deposited thereon in image configuration.
The developed toner image recorded on the imaging member is transferred to an image receiving substrate such as paper via a transfer member. The toner particles may be transferred by heat and/or pressure to a transfer member, or more commonly, the toner image particles may be electrostatically transferred to the transfer member by means of an electrical potential between the imaging member and the transfer member. After the toner has been transferred to the transfer member, it is then transferred to the image receiving substrate, for example by contacting the substrate with the toner image on the transfer member under heat and/or pressure.
Transfer members enable high throughput at modest process speeds. In four-color photocopier or printer systems, the transfer member also improves registration of the final color toner image. In such systems, the four component colors of cyan, yellow, magenta and black may be synchronously developed onto one or more imaging members and transferred in registration onto a transfer member at a transfer station.
In electrostatographic printing and photocopy machines in which the toner image is transferred from the transfer member to the image receiving substrate, it is desired that the transfer of the toner particles from the transfer member to the image receiving substrate be substantially 100 percent. Less than complete transfer to the image receiving substrate results in image degradation and low resolution. Complete transfer is particularly desirable when the imaging process involves generating full color images since undesirable color deterioration in the final colors can occur when the color images are not completely transferred from the transfer member.
Thus, it is desirable that the transfer member surface has excellent release characteristics with respect to the toner particles. Conventional materials known in the art for use as transfer members often possess the strength, conformability and electrical conductivity necessary for use as transfer members, but can suffer from poor toner release characteristics, especially with respect to higher gloss image receiving substrates.
Polyimide substrate transfer members are suitable for high performance applications because of their outstanding mechanical strength and thermal stability, in addition to their good resistance to a wide range of chemicals. However, the high cost of manufacturing unseamed polyimide belts has led to the introduction of a seamed belt. Even polyimides with the best mechanical and chemical properties often exhibit poor adhesion at the seam even when commercially available primers are used.
In the electrostatic transfer applications, use of a seamed transfer polyimide member results in insufficient transfer in that the developed image occurring on the seam is not adequately transferred. This incomplete transfer is partially the result of the difference in seam height to the rest of the belt. A xe2x80x9cbumpxe2x80x9d is formed at the seam, thereby hindering transfer and mechanical performance. The development of puzzle cut seams has increased the quality of transfer somewhat, by decreasing the seam height, thereby allowing smooth cycling. However, even with the improvements made with puzzle cut seams, quality imaging in the seamed area is not obtainable at present due, in part, to contrast in transfer caused by differences in electrical and release properties of the seam and the rest of the belt. These problems are sometimes caused by the adhesive. Further, current adhesives do not provide sufficient bonding strength at the seam, resulting in short belt life. In addition, the seam must have the appropriate surface properties in order to allow for sufficient toner release at the seam.
Therefore, it is desired to provide a belt having a seam, which has thermal and mechanical characteristics closely matching those of the robust substrate. Further, it is desired to provide a seam having electrical, mechanical and toner release characteristics that closely match those of the rest of the belt. In addition, it is desirable to provide a seam, which is imagable, thereby reducing or eliminating the presence of print or copy defects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,193 relates to an endless flexible seamed belt comprising puzzle cut members, wherein at least one receptacle has a substantial depth in a portion of the belt material at the belt ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,032 discloses a puzzle cut seamed belt having a strength-enhancing strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,707 discloses a puzzle cut seamed belt having a bond between adjacent surfaces, wherein an ultraviolet cured adhesive is used to bond the adjacent surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,436 relates to a puzzle cut seamed belt having a mechanically invisible seam, which is substantially equivalent in performance to a seamless belt.
Embodiments of the present invention include: an endless seamed flexible belt comprising a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, said belt comprising a substrate having a fluoropolymer material coated over said seam.
In addition, embodiments of the present invention include: an endless seamed flexible belt comprising a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, the belt comprising a substrate having conductive fillers therein, and the seam comprising a fluoropolymer overcoat having conductive fillers therein.
Embodiments further include: an image forming apparatus for forming images on a recording medium comprising: a charge-retentive surface to receive an electrostatic latent image thereon; a development component to apply toner to the charge-retentive surface to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a developed image on the charge retentive surface; a transfer belt to transfer the developed image from the charge retentive surface to a copy substrate, wherein the transfer belt is an endless seamed flexible belt comprising a first end and a second end, each of the first end and the second end comprising a plurality of mutually mating elements which join in an interlocking relationship to form a seam, the transfer belt comprising a substrate having a fluoropolymer material coated over said seam; and a fixing component to fuse the developed image to the copy substrate.